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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. firm — steady
  4. kid — child
  5. firm — a company
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cell — in biology
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. board — to get on
  15. kid — to tease
  16. season — in sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — of the year
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. firm — decided
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com